- Engaging transport management gameplay
- Lacks content and depth
- Tedious UI and UX
- Poor game balance and AI
- Presence of various bugs
- Early Access, high update anticipation
Emotions
Players are satisfied with the game's extensive and addictive gameplay, often citing hundreds of hours of content, hidden complexity, and a rewarding early-game experience. The game's stability, fair pricing, and responsive developers also contribute to overall enjoyment and a sense of value.
Frustration stems from technical issues like game freezes, performance problems, and unreadable text. Players are also annoyed by UI limitations, tedious upgrade processes, perceived 'cheating' AI, and the game's tendency to 'fall apart' or become unmanageable in later stages.
Disappointment arises from the game's perceived lack of features compared to genre leaders, its repetitive nature, and the feeling that it was released as a full product while still being in an 'early access' state. Performance issues despite simple graphics and a lack of challenge also contribute to this sentiment.
Players express excitement for the game's potential, future updates, and the addition of new features like multiplayer and workshop support. The addictive gameplay, depth, and the ability to build a large empire also generate significant enthusiasm.
Hope is primarily focused on future updates that will add missing features such as multiplayer and cargo transports. Players also hope for continued developer engagement and the implementation of suggested improvements.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 67% · Negative 33%. Score: 33 / 100
Positives:
- Players find the game highly enjoyable, addictive, and satisfying, especially when establishing and maintaining transport routes. Many appreciate its accessible yet deep strategy, comparing it favorably to other transport tycoon games. The price is also considered fair for the content offered.
- The game offers extensive replayability with hundreds of hours of gameplay and long-term progression. Players are impressed by the detailed world map and the vast possibilities for connecting cities globally, suggesting a massive scale.
- Reviewers see significant potential in the game, noting its intriguing concept and solid foundation. They believe the game has a bright future and is full of promise for further development.
- NPC competitors are noted for their relentless infrastructure building, which creates a different and challenging experience with the AI in each new game.
- The developers appear to be actively engaging with the community, incorporating feedback and collaborating on new features.
Negatives:
- Many players feel the game is incomplete, lacking core features, content, and depth compared to other genre titles. This leads to repetitive gameplay, a lack of progression, and a 'bare bones' experience that quickly becomes boring, especially in the mid to late game. The game feels more like an early access title than a full release.
- The user interface and overall user experience are frequently criticized. Tasks like upgrading vehicles, managing routes, and navigating menus are tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming due to a lack of bulk actions and an inconvenient interface. This makes managing a large company frustrating and overwhelming.
- The game suffers from significant balance issues, particularly with the AI. The AI is either too easy to exploit or becomes overwhelmingly powerful, sometimes appearing to cheat. This imbalance, combined with a lack of control over game pace and an over-reliance on planes in the late game, detracts from the strategic experience.
- Players report numerous bugs, including issues with settings, bizarre cross-continent connections, misspelled names, and problems with line editing resetting vehicles. There are also specific bugs related to logo color settings and the maximum loan amount.
- The game struggles with managing city growth and vehicle behavior. Players are overwhelmed by too many cities appearing, struggle with insufficient funds to serve them, and experience issues with vehicle pacing leading to overcrowding, empty vehicles, and financial losses. The lack of passenger logic further exacerbates these problems.
Gameplay:
- The core gameplay involves building a global transportation network using various vehicles like buses, trains, and planes. Players connect cities to transport passengers, manage hubs, and expand their empire by acquiring competitors and upgrading infrastructure to meet growing demand.
- The game features multiple modes, including competitive options with up to 100 AI opponents. Players can expand their network and eliminate rivals through mergers and acquisitions, adding a strategic layer to company growth.
- While the game has a learning curve and depth, many players find it becomes easy once the mechanics are understood. The progression path to victory often becomes clear, and the AI opponents are generally not challenging enough to prevent player dominance.
- Cities grow significantly based on passenger fulfillment, leading to a substantial increase in passenger volume. This growth necessitates proactive management of routes and transfers to prevent passengers from getting stuck and overwhelming city capacity.
- The game is in early access, with developers actively working on improvements and new features. While some bugs exist, they generally do not hinder gameplay, and the full release promises an enhanced map and additional content.
Performance:
- Players report that the game generally runs smoothly and stably, especially on higher-end systems and when played at normal speed. No significant bugs or crashes were experienced during initial gameplay.
- Despite initial stability, some players encounter severe performance degradation, including freezing and significant lag, particularly after extended play sessions (e.g., three hours) or in the late game due to complex calculations like passenger movements.
- One player noted that installing the game on an SSD is a common strategy to mitigate potential late-game performance issues, suggesting that file sizes or data loading can become substantial.
Recommendations:
- The game is generally well-received and recommended, especially for players who enjoy management games or are new to the transport network optimization genre. It offers a strong initial experience and is considered promising for its price point.
- Players are strongly advised to try the game's demo, as it accurately represents the full game experience. This allows potential buyers to assess if the game aligns with their preferences before purchasing.
- Despite overall positive sentiment, some players are seeking refunds, indicating a potential disconnect between initial impressions and long-term satisfaction or specific unmet expectations. This suggests a mixed reception for some users.
- There is a desire among players for a multiplayer mode, suggesting that the current single-player experience could be enhanced by social interaction and cooperative or competitive play.
- Achievement hunters should be aware that completing the 'connect the world' achievement will require a substantial time investment and effort, indicating a challenging long-term goal.
Miscellaneous:
- Players are highly anticipating future updates, DLC, and especially the addition of multiplayer functionality. They believe these additions would significantly enhance engagement, content, and overall enjoyment.
- Many players feel the game, despite its potential, was released prematurely and still feels like an Early Access title. They express hope that the developers will continue to support and improve the game to reach its full potential.
- Players suggest that adding cargo transport mechanics would introduce more variety, complexity, and strategic depth to the game. This could evolve the game into a more comprehensive logistics simulation.
- Suggestions include implementing mechanics where controlling a majority of connections or being the sole company in a country grants strategic advantages, such as influence, discounts, or the ability to block competitors. This would add depth to company expansion.
- Visual elements like snowy terrain and nighttime darkness can obscure important game information, making it difficult to identify cities. A slider for weather and day/night cycle visuals would improve visibility.
